Liquid measuring system



A. T. WAKEFIELD v' LIQUID MEASURING SYSTEM -July 14, 1931.

Filed Dec. 29. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'IIIA EASURING PUME July 14, 1931.A, T, wAlKEFlELD i 1,814,065

LIQUID MEASURING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u wwwPatented July 14, 1931 ARTHUR THOMAS WAKEFIELD, oF BALTIMORE, MAnYLANn,AssIGnoalTo AMERICAN oIL COMPANY, oF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND LIQUIDMEAsUnING 'SYSTEM Application led December 29, 11926. ASerial No.157,855. i

The invention forming the subject matter of application is a systemdesigned generally for the accurate measurement and dispensing of Yliquids from underground :an storage tanks; and more particularlyfor'the accurate measurement and dispensing of gasoline-and similarliquids in the apparatus used in filling stations. Y"ln :order forgasoline to be pumped am properly from the underground tanks in commonfuse `at .filling stations it is necessary touse what are known :asfoot-valves in the discharge line. The best location for these.foot-valves is. at the bottom of `the suction linewithin the undergroundstorage tank. The great drawback to such positloningof'foot-valvesasuc-h as are in use at the present `time isthat whenthese valves get out'of order, las they sometimes do, it is Y'90necessary to dig up` the concrete or ground in whichpthe tank lisembedded and getdown into the tank in lorder to make the necessaryrepairs. :Either this or a large opening must be provided from thetankup to the ground leveland all around the suction line and a largelmanhole-basto be'placed over thesurface opening. This `method of repair1s very costly since it ties up the use of the system, and-involvesnotonly the breaking of con- 159 crete,v:but lof -allJpipe-lines leadingto the pump, with the incident loss of gasoline etc. "It'is'the vmainobject of this invention to construct the piping and valve mechanism ofsuch system between the underground storageft-ankandthe' measuring pumpso as to avoidallinecessity for breaking the ground or the piping inorder to effect repairs in the dispensing mechanism. Y

AA further andmost'important object of this invention, is to provide thedischarge lineleading from the tankto the measuring Tp'ump with' meansvto ensure accurate measurement of the liquid drawn trom-.the tank to themeasuring pump.

YAstill furtherobject of 4the invention is to providesystems ofthis typewith `valves and other-parts constructedso .as to be readily insertedvin locked `and operative positions 50 inthe discharge line and toberemoved therefromby means ofa keyconstructed specially to` effectsuchinsertion .and removal.

lOther objects of the 'invention will appear asithe detaileddescriptionof the `invention proceeds.` v In lthe accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional elevation of a liquid measuring anddispensingsystem `embodying this invention; v

Fig. 2 .isanelevationr of'a plug of special construction used in thedischarge line of the said system; A

Fig.3 isa plan of saidplug;

1F ig. f4 isa longitudinal verticalsectionof one form of valve mechanism`used inthis system and of a key constructed tocOOperate with parts ofsaid mechanism `to facilitate theinsertio'nand removal thereof froinfthedischarge line of the system;

Fig. 5 isfa similar view ofa modifiedform of the valvev mechanismandof'the said akey in elevation and in operativefengagement withsaidrmechanism; and Figure 6 is an elevation `of said-'key. As shown inthe drawingstheunderground storagetank lis provided withuan aperture 2over which is .seatedI and xedthereto, an internally screw threadedbushing?, adapted to lreceive :the Yexternally screwthreaded sleeve .4.

,fv'lhe opening2 is largeenough'to permit thej passage,therethroughl ofa valvecasing 5 whichl is' positioned with/its 4lower endr adjacentthe'bottomof 'the tank g1. `The upper endfofthevalvef'cas'ingf issupported from andpinfscrewthreaded connection with pipe 6,passingthrough Athe *aperturef 7 f of :sleeve 4 and secured tosaidslee've with a gas, tight it'in any suitable manner. V'AT-,jointSconnects the pipe 6 with asecond pipe9 inl alinement' withl pipe 6` andforming therewith a passageway'to provide for the `insertion and removalofthe valve mechanism with the valve casing 5.

y The upper part of pipe 9 is suitably secured,

as byfsetscrews, to a' cylindricalV casing 1'1 whichnis embeddedintheconcrete V12S and is internally screwthreaded at its upper end toreceive`lan externally lscrewthreaded plug ico 13, having a squaredprojection 14, on its upper face adapted to be engaged by a wrench orkey to facilitate insertion in or removal from casing 11.

The measuring pump 15, seated on the concrete 12 is odset from the pipes6 and 9, and is connected to the T-joint 8 by means of the vertical pipe16, elbow 17, and horizontal pipe 18, all connected to each other inliquid and gas tight fit in any suitable manner.

The valve mechanism used in this invention comprises the casing 5,having a screwthreaded cylindrical recess 19 at its lowest end adaptedto receive a filtering device (not shown). This casing 5 is furtherprovided with an internally screwthreaded bore 20 to receive the lowerexternally screwthreaded end 21 of the valve cylinder 22, which is`provided centrally thereof with a partition 23 having an aperture 24therethrough to serve as a guide for the stem 25 of the poppet valve 26.The cylinder 22 has a bevel seat 27 for the correspondingly bevellededge 28 of the head valve 26, and is extended beyond said seat and headto form two diametrically disposed lugs 29, each of which has two arms30 extending laterally on opposite sides from its lug 29 and curveddownwardly toward the valve seat 27 to form recesses 31 adapted toreceive the pins 32 formed on the plunger casing 33 of a key wrench K.

The key wrench comprises the rod 34, long enough to extend from abovethe ground level to the bottom of tank 1, screwthreaded into d thecasing 33, and a handle 35 to facilitate turning of the wrench The upperend of the casing 33 is bored to form a recess 36 having a part thereofscrewthreaded to receive the screw threads of rod 34, and set bolts 37are screwthreaded radially through said casing 33 to lock the rod 34rigidly to the casing 33 when the two are properly connected to eachother The casing 33 is also provided with a plunger receiving recess 38in which the plunger 39 is slidably mounted Separating the recesses 36and 38 is a partition 40 having a central aperture 41 in which the shank42 of a headed machine screw 43 is mounted to slide The head 44 of thisscrew is positioned in the recess 36, while its shank 42 extends intorecess 38 and has its end 45 screwthreaded into the upper end ofplunger. A spring 46 interposed between the inner end of plunger 39 andthe lower face of partition 40 serves to keep the plunger 39 normally7projected :from the casing 33.

The plunger casing 33 is adapted to slide with neat fit between thediametrically opposed lugs 29, and the arms 30 of opposite lugs 29 arespaced apart to permit the passage therebetween oi the pins 32 on casing33. rhese pins 32 are designed to seat in the recesses 31 and to be heldyieldingly therein by the engagement of the plunger 39 with the top ofvalve 26. This locking engagement of cylinder 33 with lugs 29 is shownclearly in dotted lines in Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig. 5 where theplunger casing is shown positioned at the end of a valve seatingoperation. For valve removing purposes the key K is merely presseddownwardly against the yielding resistance of plunger 39 and is turnedfrom the position shown in Figure 5 until pin 32 contacts with the edgeoit' the right hand lug 29; then, the downward pressure on handle 35 isreleased and the spring 46 forces the casing upwardly until pins 32engage the upper edges of the recesses 31. The key is then positioned toturn in the opposite direction to remove the 'valve mechanism as a wholefrom the casing 5.

The structural details of the modification shown in Fig. 5 are quitesimilar to those shown in Fig. 4 except that poppet valves are shown intandem in Fig. 5. The operation of these valves will be obvious frominspection of the drawings and need not be described in detail here.

The plug 47 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) is the most important element of thisliquid measuring system. rlhis plug is provided with lugs 29, arms 30,and recesses 31, identical with those shown in Figs. 4 and 5 on thevalve mechanisins; in order that the plug may be inserted in andremoved` from its operative position shown in Fig. 1. If nothing morethan the mere withdrawal of liquid from tank 1 were involved this plugcould be omitted; but, where the liquid is to be withdrawn in measuredquantities, this plug is absolutely essential. This plug 47 has a solidexternally screwthreaded part 48 adapted to be screwed into theinternally screw-threaded section 49 of the T-joint 8 until the bottomof the plug is flush with the top of the horizontal pipe 18.

Then plug 47 is properly seated in T- joint 8 the discharge line fromthe tank 1 to the measuring pump 15 is filled with liquid and there areno vapor-forming pressurevarying pockets in the line to affect themeasuring functions of the pump. Without this plug, the pipe 9, abovethe horizontal pipe 18 forms a large air and vapor trap in which thepressure varies so greatly that it is impossible to maintain the pump 15in sucli condition that it can be depended upon for measuring purposes.

The assembling and disassembling operations of the plug and valvemechanisms by the key will be obvious from inspection of the drawings.

What I claim is In an underground tank adapted for the discharge of itscontentsby fluid pressure, a filler pipe extending substantiallyvertically from said tank to the ground level, a lateral discharge pipecommunicating -with said illing pipe at an intermediate part, fittingsscrewing into said pipe at depths inaccessible to hand operation, onebelow and one above said discharge pipe, the lower fitting having acheck valve and the upper being an imperforate plug,a surface capclosing the upper end of said filling pipe, relative to which said plugis independent, said plug and check valve fitting having similar keyengaging means by which they may be engaged and unscrewed successivelyby the same key.

A In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

ARTHUR THOMAS WAKEFIELD.

